| World Renown Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies
will use Pluristem's PLX Cells to Pursue New Therapies for Variety of
Degenerative Disorders NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pluristem Life
Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:PLRS
- News;
DAX:PJT), a bio-therapeutics Company dedicated to the commercialization
of products for a variety of malignant, degenerative and auto-immune
indications, announced today that it has entered into a Collaborative
Research Agreement with the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative
Therapy (BCRT) at Charite - University Medicine Berlin.
Pluristem and BCRT will collaborate on a variety of indications
utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the placenta that
have been expanded in the Company's proprietary PluriX(TM) 3-D
bioreactor. The initial focus of the collaboration will be on
neurological indications such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's
disease. The agreement also covers organ transplantation and
cardiovascular indications such as inflammatory cardiomyopathy.
Pluristem will be the exclusive owner of the technology and any products
stemming from the collaboration.
Professor Hans Dieter Volk, MD, Director/ Chairman of BCRT at Charite
commented, "The collaboration of BCRT, working with Pluristem and their
proprietary PLX cells offers several exciting prospects. We believe
Pluristem's cells can potentially result in beneficial therapies for a
number of diseases."
The BCRT is a cooperative research institution of the Charite
University Hospital in Berlin and Germany's largest research
association, the Helmholtz Association. BCRT also receives generous
financial support from the BMBF and the states of Berlin and
Brandenburg, as well as from the Technology Foundations in Berlin and
Brandenburg, the Future Fund Berlin and from various industry partners.
More than 15 regional partners from science and industry are active
members of the consortium at the BCRT.
"This cooperation is extremely important to us," commented Pluristem
Chairman and CEO, Mr. Zami Aberman. "First, it corroborates our approach
regarding the use of MSCs from the placenta and our PluriX(TM)
technology to develop new therapeutic products for a variety of
indications. In addition, the collaboration significantly enhances our
approach to develop our pipe line of products."
About BCRT
The Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) was
founded as a cooperative research institution of the Charite University
Hospital in Berlin and Germany's largest research association, the
Helmholtz Association. BCRT also receives generous financial support
from the BMBF and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, as well as from
the Technology Foundations in Berlin and Brandenburg, the Future Fund
Berlin and from various industry partners. The mission of the BCRT is to
develop a translational platform for Regenerative Therapies from
bench-to-bedside. The five clinical platforms -- Immune,
muskuloskleletal, hepatic, neuronal, and cardiovascular system -- are
cross-linked by technology platforms (basic science, bio-engineering,
translational technologies). First clinical trials with cell therapy
have been started.
www.b-crt.de
About Pluristem
Pluristem Life Systems, Inc. is a Company dedicated to the
commercialization of unrelated donor-patient (allogeneic) stem cell therapy
products for the treatment of numerous severe degenerative, malignant
and autoimmune disorders. The Company's first planned product, PLX-BMT,
targets a $2 billion market and is intended to resolve the global
shortfall of matched tissue for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) by
improving the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) contained
in umbilical cord blood (CB).
Pluristem's products are derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
obtained from the placenta and expanded in the Company's proprietary
PluriX(TM) 3D bioreactor that imitates the natural microstructure of
bone marrow and does not require supplemental growth factors, cytokines
or other exogenous materials. Pluristem believes the resultant expanded
cells, termed PLX cells, are multipotent and able to differentiate into
a variety of cell types as well as being immune-privileged to protect
the recipient from immunological reactions that often accompanies
transplantation. Pluristem believes their future products will
participate in the approximate $30 billion therapeutic and regenerative
cellular market.
Pluristem has offices and is incorporated in the USA with research
and manufacturing facilities in Israel.
www.pluristem.com
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements, which may constitute
"forward-looking statements" regarding our intent, belief or current
expectations. Forward-looking statements in this release include that
"the Pluristem's cells can potentially result in beneficial therapies
for a number of diseases; that the collaboration corroborates our
approach regarding the use of MSCs from the placenta and our PluriX(TM)
technology to develop therapeutic products for a variety of indication;
that the corroborates our approach regarding the use of MSCs from the
placenta and our PluriX(TM) technology to develop new therapeutic
products for a variety of indications; that the collaboration
significantly enhances our approach to develop our pipe line of
products. Factors that could prevent our forward looking statements from
being achieved include that we may be unable to get regulatory approval
for our products; we may be unsuccessful in developing any products; our
technology may not be validated as we progress further and our methods
may not be accepted by the scientific community; we may be unable to
retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the
development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties may
develop with our process; results in the laboratory may not translate to
equally good results in real surgical settings; our patents may not be
sufficient to protect essential aspects of our technology; competitors
may invent better technology; our products may not work as well as hoped
or worse, our products may harm recipients; and we may not be able to
raise funds for development or working capital when we require it. As
well, our products may never develop into useful products and even if
they do, they may not be approved for sale to the public. For further
risk factors see the Company's latest 10-KSB filed with the SEC.
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